The Lost One
by SingingMisery
Summary: Sora's an ordinary teen, struggling with the balance between school and social life. The arrival of several strangers changes all of that. Now, with the weight of the world upon him, Sora must choose the course of the future. If only he could remember why
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Lost One

Pairing: SoraxRiku (that's if for now)

Warnings: Violence, flashbacks

AN: this sucker's been driving me bonkers for a while. It's rated M because it's going to get a little darker later.

_

* * *

_

_The boy scrambled along the rocky terrain, gasping when he turned his ankle over. It hurt, but he ignored it. If he stopped now..._

_He kept moving, wincing every time he put weight on his hurt limb. His hand grasped his shoulder, cut from an earlier fight. It throbbed, he also ignored it. _

_His head snapped to attention. In the distance he could hear the approaching sound of hoof beats. His pursuers were coming up on him, and fast. He sped up. He turned around a rocky alcove._

_It was a dead end. A cliff dropped to the stormy ocean below._

_He spun around just as several horse and riders came down the same pathway. The leader stared at him coldly._

"_Where is it?" The boy smiled._

"_Hidden, thoroughly. You'll never find it." _

"_Don't try my patience. Tell me where it is, and you'll die painlessly." The boy backed up, shaking his head. There was no other way._

"_She died to protect us. Now, I'll do the same." Before anyone could stop him, the boy flung himself over the cliff edge._

* * *

Sora sat up, rubbing at his head. The same dream. It was always the same dream. He sighed, and flung the covers off of himself. He never saw the kid's face, but couldn't help get the feeling he had met him somewhere before. The brunet shook his head, and wandered to the kitchen. His parents had to leave to go to a conference earlier in the morning. The teen found a note explaining they had left money for his lunch and that they loved him very much. He smiled despite himself. That was definitely his mom. Checking the clock, Sora saw that he had about fifteen minutes until the bus came. Quickly changing into some clean clothes, he grabbed his bag and ran out the door. He saw his friend Tidus waiting for him and went to join him.

"I thought for minute you weren't coming. What took you so long?"

"Sorry, man. I had that dream again last night." The blond frowned at him, concerned.

"Really? Hey, maybe you should talk to someone about this." Sora gave him a look. He raised his hands in surrender. "It's just a suggestion." The bus pulled up to their stop. For some reason, Sora glanced back at his house. Maybe if he had known, he would have taken a harder look. It would be a while before he saw it again.

Radiant Gardens High School was a rather large building. In the middle of it all, there was a big courtyard used by students as a place to hang out, eat lunch, finish up on homework, or in Sora's case, waiting until their friend decided to come back from getting food. Sora glanced around impatiently. Tidus was taking such a friggen long time. Finally, he caught a glance of his friend and grinned. Of course, he was 

talking to Yuna. The pretty girl was holding out a paper, leaning in close. Tidus was trying to remain cool and calm while pointing something out. The brunet teen sighed, wishing those two would just get over themselves and get together. Tidus came back over, a lovesick expression on his face. Sora rolled his eyes and flicked him in the nose. The blond came down from his cloud and glared at his friend.

"Going to get food, hmm?" Tidus blushed brilliantly, muttering at Sora. The brunet laughed, eyes going around the courtyard. His eyes caught on three kids he knew he had never seen before. A tall redhead, a shorter blond, and a silver haired kid. A brown haired adult came over to them, and spoke to them. Tidus followed his line of sight and said,

"So those are the visiting people." Laughing slightly at the confused look on Sora's face, he elbowed him. "Weren't listening were you? Anyways, there visiting from some fancy prep school." Sora nodded, barely hearing. Was it his imagination, or did all the visitors attention just focus on him?

First period, history. Usually, he liked it and had no problem paying attention. But, he felt unusually...restless. He flipped through his textbook, hoping to find some story to absorb himself into. The teacher droned on.

"...the remaining survivors came back, disoriented and confused. The claimed their boat had been sunk by a great beast. They called it, The Ramigin." Sora flipped his page and felt a shiver go up his spine. The picture was of a hulking beast. A pair of narrowed yellow eyes stuck out. Pincers stuck out at random intervals on the body. A whip-like tail protruded from the back. Even if it wasn't real, Sora turned the page quickly. He lost himself in the teacher's droning lecture. Until, there was a knock at the door. The decrepit woman opened it. There stood the people from this morning. The brunet adult had a scar across his face. Sora wondered where a teacher got a mark like that.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Mrs...?"

"Simmons. And it is Ms. now." Sora rolled his eyes at the subtle flirtation in the teachers tone. Sora rolled his eyes. She was ancient. If the man gave any indication that he heard that, he ignored it.

"I am Mr. Leonhart. These are my students." The three teens shuffled in. "We are just going around on a tour of your school." His grey eyes scanned over the assembled people. His eyes lingered on Sora for a moment longer than anyone else. The look in them was sharp. The others seemed to pick up on this. Sora resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Ha ha ha, let's all make fun of the scrawny kid. He was used to it by now. He put his eyes back to his book, ignoring them. Finally, the door opened again. Though he wanted to ignore them, something made him put his head up. He met hard, jade eyes. The silver haired teen raised an eyebrow, smiled, and then left. The brunet shook his head. He wasn't often he disliked someone before even knowing their name.

* * *

As soon as the group was out of sight, the "teacher" rounded on the others.

"It's him."

"We know that Leon." The redhead spoke. "But how do you want to go about this? It's not like we can just drag him away. There are rules."

"As much as I hate to say this, Axel's right. Plus, he has no idea who he is." The silver haired one spoke.

"Thanks Riku." Axel said sarcastically. Leon sighed.

"Well, just keep an eye out. We're not the only ones who are interested in him." The all nodded and wandered down the hall. Axel fell back to the silent blond.

"He looks little like you, eh Roxas?" Roxas fixed with a stare, and made a non-committal noise. The redhead smirked and caught up with everyone else, leaving Roxas alone to think.

* * *

The rest of Sora's morning went by smoothly. The arrogant strangers soon left his mind and he was able to focus on his school work. Sooner than expected, the lunch bell rang and the brunet teen walked to his locker. Tidus was there, looking uncomfortable. Sora held up his hand,

"Let me guess, Yuna asked you to sit with her at lunch." The blond boy nodded, grateful that Sora had read him correctly.

"Is that okay?" Sora smiled at him, laughing a little bit.

"Of course, it's okay. I find something else to do." Tidus looked a little guilty.

"You could come sit with us, you know." The brunet shook his head, waving his friend off.

"It's fine, really. Now go." Tidus nodded, and ran down the hall. Sora laughed and grabbed the things he would need for his afternoon classes. Tidus really liked that girl, and he didn't want to intrude on the two. He had other friends he could sit with, but didn't feel like talking to anyone today. Besides, he had some things he could finish up on.

The hall to the library was, unsurprisingly, abandoned. With the weather being so nice, everyone took advantage of it by spending all their time outside. Sora walked down the hall, humming softly to himself. The lights above his head started to flicker. He frowned up at them, stopping. Then, all of the lights went out, plunging the hall into darkness. Sora glanced around, trying to get his eyes used to the darkness. What had happened? Behind him came a scuttling noise. He spun around, but there was nothing there. The teen moved down the hall, there was a dim light coming from one of the classrooms. The noise came again, accompanied by a soft growl. He spun around again, panic making his breathing quicken.

"Look, if someone's playing a joke, you got me okay? This isn't funny anymore." There was no response. Sora continued to back up, eyes focused on the darkness. There was a creepy silence. Then, something slowly emerged. Sora's eyes widened in horror.

This was what a monster looked like. It was at least three feet taller than Sora was. A scraggly mane of hair hung down over its face, obscuring its features save for one green eye that peered out. A snout protruded out, quivering in different directions, sniffing. Its chest was barrel shaped, the skin mottled gray. It had thick tree stump legs and arms, ropy muscles evident. In one hand it clutched a large club. Its head swung around, landing in Sora's direction. With an inhuman roar, it charged at him, club raised in the air. The noise jarred Sora out of his stupor. He flattened himself against the wall, narrowly avoiding the swing at his head. He nearly gagged at the stench that permeated the air. It was as like bad eggs and Tidus's gym locker combined. Keeping as close to the wall, he moved quickly. The thing looked confusedly around, trying to find Sora. It caught his scent again, and charged after him again. Sora exploded into a run. He panted with exertion and terror. He flung himself at a pair of doors, yanking at the handles. It was locked. Sora spun around, watching helplessly as the monster bore down on him, roaring. He closed his eyes, a sob clawing up at his throat. Then, all the noise stopped. Sora cracked open one eye. The beast stood still, the source of inactivity clear. A sword protruded from the chest. It fell down. Sora's eyes widened when he saw who stood there. The silver haired boy from before smiled grimly at him.

"That was fun." Sora just stared at him. "Are you okay?" Still, Sora didn't say anything. He approached the brunet cautiously. In distance, footsteps approached. The others appeared out of the gloom. The blond regarded the dead monster with a bored air, as if he had seen something like that before. The red head grinned,

"Hey! You found him, Riku." The teenager, Riku, nodded and gently grabbed Sora's arm. The brunet was feeling dizzy all of a sudden. He was hyper-aware of a sharp, but small, pain in his arm. He found a small object and pulled. A small needle came out. He held it up, frowning. The assembled group gasped in alarm. He felt heat creeping up now, making him even more lightheaded. He swayed, coloured spots appearing in his eyes.

"I think its poison." Sora felt like the statement should mean something, but he was focusing on just standing. Then, a fiery pain raced up his spine. He collapsed. Blackness edged along his vision. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw were concerned green eyes staring down at him.

* * *

_A pretty auburn haired girl nervously fiddled with a pendant around her neck. Could she really go through with this? A boy her age entered the room._

"_You summoned me, my lady?" She turned, giving him a false smile._

"_Yes. I need your help." He stared at her, confused. Then realization struck. Tears fell from his eyes._

"_My lady...you...you cannot do this. There must be another way!" She shook her head._

"_There is no other way..." The boy interrupted._

"_But you'll die!" Silence reigned in the small room._

"_Yes, yes I will." She smiled again, wiping the tears that had fallen down her pretty cheeks. "But countless more will die if I don't do this." She focused on the boy. "I trust you more than anyone. Will you __hide if for me?" The boy hesistated, torn between the order he was given and the sense of friendship he had with this girl. He nodded, tears coming to his own eyes. _

"_I'll prepare the necessary spells, my lady." She nodded, taking a steadying breath. _

"_Thank you." _

Three guesses who the unnamed people are in the flashbacks/dreams. Cookies to anyone who gets it right. (Although I kind of made it obvious.) As always, reviews are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Lost One

Pairing: SoraxRiku (that's it for now)

Warnings: Violence, flashbacks

Chapter 2

* * *

Images flickered in and out of focus, taking on an almost dream-like sequence. Blurred people hovered over him as he tried to breath. Hot. It was so hot. And he couldn't move.

"...get an antidote..."

"...no time..."

Sora felt tears slipping down his face. What did he ever do to deserve this pain? He felt strong arms wrapping around his body and weakly tried to pull away. He was told to hush and hold still. Mercifully, he passed into darkness again

* * *

_A man watched as a boy ran into the night, praying that he would be safe_

_A glowing object nestled in someone's hands. _

_Two people engaged in a sword fight. _

_A blond man who had his back turned looked up into the sky._

* * *

A large man leaned over the dead monster, ignoring the stench. He examined the wound in its chest.

"Riku," came the muttered remark, through clenched teeth. Another man flicked his eyes over to the first.

"You're sure?" The first nodded.

"His sword leaves distinctive marks. I can recognize them anywhere." He stood and gestured over the large corpse. It disappeared, leaving no trace that it had ever been there.

"I think they found him. Why else would they be here?" The first nodded. "What are we going to do?" He instantly regretted his words when a fierce glare was set his way.

"We're going to let this play out. Besides, this just makes it more interesting."

* * *

Sora came to in a dark room. He was settled on a soft bed. The pain and fire from before was gone. He sat still for several moments. He had no idea where he was. Panic started to set in. What could he remember? He remembered the fight with the monster thing, remembered those strangers saving him. Then, a small pain in his arm. He wrapped his arms around himself, whimpering. They must have 

drugged him. Just then, there was a noise at the door. With a squeak, Sora flung the covers over his head. There were footsteps, then a hesitant voice came.

"Um...so you're awake then?" Sora froze underneath the covers. He knew that voice.

"YOU!" He moved his head to glare at the teacher who had been visiting his school. "Why am I here? What have you done? Why was I drugged?" The scarred brunet tried to say something, but Sora kept on going. "Where is here? Are you going to kill me? Rape me?" The words began to take on a hysterical rush. "Blackmail me? Oh please, don't hurt my family or friends!" Finally the man interrupted.

"NO!" Sora flinched at the sudden increase in volume. "I'm sorry. You're here because you were poisoned. We needed an antidote that we didn't have at the time." Sora nodded, not really understanding. "As for where you are, you are at Seville Mansion..."

"Oh, not too far from my home," Sora commented mildly. He was already working on an escape plan. The man sighed. "You're not a prisoner. You're free to go whenever you want." Sora regarded the older brunet suspiciously.

"Really?" Sora moved to stand up. But his legs were so wobbly. He fell back. The man came forward to help him, but Sora shook his head. He had his pride. After several more embarrsing tries to stand, the man finally said,

"Why don't you rest some more. You have my word that nothing will happen to you." Sora glared at him.

"Your word, huh? Well seeming as I don't even know your name, I can't really trust you." To his surprise the man gave a short bark of laughter. He went back out towards the door.

"My name is Leon." And then he left. Sora wiggled in the bed, muttering darkly. Exhaustion suddenly crept up on him and he fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

* * *

Out in the hall Leon paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder.

"You're back." A blond man stepped forward.

"Just now." He glanced towards the door. "Is it really..." Leon nodded.

"Yes, Cloud. Its him" Cloud nodded, still staring at the door. "He has no memory of his past life." Again, Cloud nodded.

"It's to be expected. Are you going to tell him?" Leon shrugged.

"Perhaps. But I can't make him believe that. He'll have to do that on his own." Cloud didn't say anything for awhile.

"Well, I have to give my report. They are on the move again." Cloud started to walk down the hall, but stopped. Then, the words came softly, nearly inaudible.

"I missed you." Leon smiled gently.

"I missed you as well."

* * *

"_As commander of this army, I order you to hand it over." A tall man towered over a smaller teen. Again, Sora couldn't see his face, but he sensed the determination in the kid's stance._

"_No way. I was entrusted with its protection." The man had a desperately, angry look on his face._

"_I understand your devotion, truly, I do. But you are not prepared to protect it. Are you forgetting who is after you?!" The heavily armed soldier stared at the boy, trying to make him understand. The boy wavered slightly._

"_I do, and yes, I know how much danger I am in. I have a place to hide it, but no one can know where it is. It's safer that way. Now please, let me pass." The boy marched over to two soldiers who prevented him from leaving. The man sighed, knowing he was getting nowhere._

"_Let him pass." He said, weakly. The two soldiers gave him incredulous looks, but obeyed, moving out of the way. He watched the disappearing figure of the teen. "I just hope your right," he whispered._

* * *

Sora opened his eyes, feeling frustrated. These dreams were new. He didn't know what to make of them. He stretched and stood, all dizziness gone. The teen stood, looking down. He flushed when he realized he was naked. Someone had stripped off his clothes without his permission. Wrapping the blanket around himself, feeling ashamed anger. A pile of clothes with note on top had been placed on a chair.

Sora,

These are some of my old things. There probably too big, but there clean. Please feel free to do whatever you want. I'll be around, so come find me. I'll try to answer any questions you have.

Leon

Sora stared at the note, trying to think when he had said what his name was. He came up blank. He had never said his name. Uneasy, the brunet pulled on the clothes. Too big was an understatement. The sleeves of the t-shirt hung of his elbows. The sweatpants, even with the drawstring tied as tight as it could go, still hung off his hips. He glanced at the mirror, finger-brushing his messy hair. It was hopeless. Cautiously, Sora opened the door, glancing around the hall. It was empty. He crept down the hall, stopping when he reached the stairs. He stepped on the first step, stopping when it creaked. Taking a deep breath, Sora moved down the flight of stairs, taking them two at a time. Just as he was about to open the door a voice came from behind him.

"Why are creeping around like that?" Sora gave a small scream, turning around. The person jumped too. He had vivid red hair that spiked up in different directions, his face was pale with poison green eyes. He had on a black tank top with jeans, a chain running from one pocket to another. His feet were bare. The stranger clutched a hand over his heart.

"Geez! Way to give a guy a heart attack!" Sora stared at him, feeling his hope of escape crashing down. "As I said, why are you creeping around like that?" The brunet shrugged, feeling ridiculous.

"I have to get out. People are going to worry about me." The redhead nodded.

"Well that's understandable. You seem like a pretty popular guy." He smiled at Sora's confused look. "I saw you at your school." Sora nodded, not feeling the slightest bit reassured. "Well, if you want to go, I can't stop you. But please, just listen to Leon first." Sora wavered, feeling torn. These people had rescued him. He should at least listen to what they had to say. Biting his lip, he nodded. The older teen in front of him grinned. "Cool. Oh, by the way, my name is Axel. Got it memorized?"

Axel led Sora through the large house to a library. Leon was there, with several other people. They were pouring over a map and several books. A few looked up and stared, but looked away just as quickly. Leon gave him a smile, gesturing to an overstuffed couch.

"Please, have seat." Sora did that, eyes scanning the room. The walls had several old paintings. Sora's eyes landed on one. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing in concentration. Then, he gasped, feeling shock.

"That's not possible." Leon looked up, eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"What's not?" Sora stood, pointing at the painting.

"That's an original Montasque, the painter. I studied him in art class. But it's of you." His brain could barely process the information. "But, you would have to be...be..."

"At least seven hundred years old," came the oddly calm reply. Sora stared at him. "I'm one thousand and seventy four years old to be exact." Sora gaped, his mouth dropping. Either this guy was a complete lunatic, or he was telling the truth. Sora sank down into the chair again. Leon sighed, turning the assembled group. "Would you please leave us? We have much to discuss." After everyone left, Leon sat on the chair opposite to Sora. "What I am about to tell you may sound crazy, but try to keep an open mind."

* * *

Across town, another gathering was taking place. A armed man placed a picture on a table. The others craned their necks to see it. The boy in it had messy brown hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"His name is Sora. He's sixteen years old, and is student at Destiny Island High School. He's relatively popular, gets good grades and is an all around good kid." He glanced at the head of the table to the man who sat there. "But you already knew that."

"I did." There was murmuring among the people. "Has he been confirmed as the one were looking for?"

"Yes." Another voice was heard.

"And what is it you intend to do with this boy, Lord Sephiroth?" The man leaned forward, jade eyes glowing maliciously.

"Interrogate him. And when he gives us what we want," Sephiroth banged his fist on the table, startling everyone, "I'll kill him"

* * *

Woo. This is getting good. Bad guy has been introduced. Reviews are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Lost One

Pairing: SoraxRiku (that's it for now)

Warnings: Violence, flashbacks

AnsemMensa: You were right. I reward you with virtual cookies. (toss)

* * *

Chapter 3

Sora stared at Leon, still unbelieving.

"Understand this Sora, just about everyone has darkness inside of them. No matter how bright and good a person may seem, there lies the potential to do bad. Does this make sense?"

Sora nodded.

"There are only seven people who have no darkness in them. They are known as the 'Princesses of Heart.' Or rather they were. You see, the power that lies in a purely good heart is enormous. Whoever posses them will have the power to rule the world. A thousand years ago, a man named Sephiroth amassed an army to collect the hearts. Six of the girls were found. Their hearts were cut out and turned into crystals." Sora felt horror and sympathy rise in him. To sacrifice anyone like that...

"The last girl was named Kairi. Knowing that if they were to get her heart, Kairi cut it out and had someone hid it. You see, she had a servant who quickly became one of her best friends. She trusted him, more than anyone else." His dream came back to him, the words of the unknown girl echoing in his head.

"_I trust you more than anyone." _

"The servant took the heart, and hid it. But Sephiroth and his army got wind of his location. He was hunted down. Rather than risk revealing the location, he killed himself." Sora felt the hair on his neck raise up. He swallowed.

"How did he die?" But he already knew the answer.

"Jumped off of a cliff." Leon gave Sora a scrutinizing look. "You've seen this in a dream?" Sora nodded. Leon turned away. This confirmed it.

"Sora, there's more to the story. You see, Kairi was a priestess for the goddess. In order to protect her friend she had the goddess give everlasting life to us. We were the warriors in charge of guarding the hearts. But, we were charged with another duty. Her friend was in danger and made the supreme sacrifice. It was promised that he would one day be resurrected. And when he did, the fate of the world would rest upon him." Sora glanced up, blue eyes guarded. "It's you, Sora. It's no doubt now." There was silence, then,

"You're wrong." Sora stood up quickly. "I can believe everything you just said, but that is too crazy. I am just me, I'm not who you think I am." The teen walked toward the door.

"I can tell you why you have that dream, Sora. I can tell you why you feel like you really don't belong here." Sora froze, tensing. He turned around, tears in his eyes.

"Shut the fuck up. You know nothing about me." He fled, slamming the door behind him. Leon sighed, cursing himself for saying the wrong thing. Even if it was true.

* * *

Sora ended up in the garden, collapsing by some roses. He sobbed, hearing Leon's words echo in his head. It was true, he did feel alienated. It was feeling he hated, one that kept him up at night. For a stranger to identify that when his own parents couldn't was frightening. He rubbed his eyes, feeling embarrassed for crying. Then, someone's shoe came into view.

"Are you alright?" Sora took a long breath. Perfect, he thought. Now someone gets to witness my humiliation.

"No, as a matter of fact, I am not fine. I am trying to find my way out of this hell hole." Sora glanced up, and stopped dead. It was the teen who had killed the monster. The silver haired kid. What was his name again?

"The door is that way. Of course if you are desperate, you could scale the fence." Sora stared at him, making the other teen uncomfortable.

"What?" Up until this point, Sora had remained calm. But everyone has their breaking point.

"HOW CAN YOU JUST ACT SO CALM? I JUST GOT ATTACKED BY A MONSTER THAT SMELLS LIKE THE INSIDE OF A SHOE, GOT POISONED, WOKE UP NAKED, AND WAS TOLD I'M THE RESURRECTED SERVANT OF SOME CHICK WHO APPARENTLY GAVE ME A POWERFUL HEART!!" Sora stopped, forced to inhale.

"Maybe you should calm down for a moment..."

"CALM? YOU WANT ME TO BE CALM? I WILL NOT BE CALM FOR MONTHS!" The silver-haired boy sighed, feeling irritated.

"Well, how 'bout you just quiet down for a while? I'm not deaf." Sora inhaled, swelling up. The boy reached over and covered his mouth. Sora was extremely tempted to bite it. Then, all the anger left the brunet, making him deflate. The bigger boy noticed the change, and removed his hand.

"I'm sorry." The words were soft, with Sora refusing to meet the other's eyes. The teen narrowed his eyes, but smiled warmly.

"It's okay. I'm Riku by the way." He held out his hand. Sora took it, smiling. The two sat down on the grass. A comfortable silence passed between them. Sora plucked some grass, scattering it back on the ground. "So are you really that anxious to leave?" The brunet sighed, trying to find the right words. He didn't want to appear rude to the person who saved him.

"Yes. It's not that I don't appreciate what you guys have done for me." Riku shifted his body, failing to mention it was he who had taken Sora's clothes off. "I just want to go back to existing in my normal life. Even if it's not really what I was meant to do." The last part sounded unsure. Riku asked,

"What do mean by that?"

"Now that I have this knowledge, I can never go back to who I used to be. I will always look at things differently, I'll always be looking over my shoulder for stuff like that ugly...thing."

"It was a troll..." Riku interrupted, his voice trailing off.

"Whatever. Do you understand?"

"More than you know." There was another long pause. "Will you at least listen to what Leon has to say? Then, you can make a decision." Riku stared beseechingly at the younger boy. Sora wavered, then gave in.

"Alright. I'll listen to what he has to say. Only 'cause you asked so nicely." Sora missed the small smile Riku gave at those words.

* * *

Leon was sitting on the same chair, looking contemplative. He looked up when Sora and Riku came into the room, relief evident. Sora sat down on the arm chair he had left, glaring slightly at Leon.

"I want to apologize. I didn't mean to offend you." Sora closed his eyes and inhaled. Those words were still painful. Riku grabbed a wood-back chair and pulled it over, plunking himself down on it. "What do you want to know?"

"What happens if I stay with you?"

"We moved around often. Rather than engage in battle with Sephiroth and his men, we avoid it whenever possible. It may be a cowardly approach, but we cannot risk more lives being lost. You would come with us, of course. You'll train to fight, which shouldn't be too difficult. All your learned instincts are still ingrained on your memory. Have you ever been in a fight and been shocked at your skills, even if you haven't learned them." Sora hesitated and then nodded.

"My mom signed me up for karate class. The teacher said I was amazing, and with the proper training I could be a black belt in two years. One of the bigger kids attacked me; he was trying to prove I wasn't all that great...I broke his jaw." Riku grinned, feeling unnaturally proud. Leon nodded.

"Believe it or not, that's good. And, we will also work on unlocking your true memories. It'll be a slow process, but we can't afford to have you crack under the burden of unloading it all at once." Sora nodded.

"And If I leave?"

"You'll go back to your life. School, friends, your parents, everything. But..." The scarred man stopped, looking somber. "You'll be putting not only your life in danger, but everyone's around you. We cannot gurantee that we will be there to protect you. Sephiroth's been spotted in the area. More than likely he knows who you are. He won't hesitate to attack you, regardless of who is around, or who gets hurt." The older man hated to use Sora's care for others against him, but it would probably be the only way to get him to stay. Sora glared at him.

"How do I know you're not just saying that?" Leon sighed, moving his hair. The scar disappeared into his hair-line.

"Do you know how I got this? Sephiroth attacked me in plain sight, in a subway station. There was a woman there, and in her haste to get away, crossed into our path. I tried to save her, but he cut her down. She died as a failure of me to protect her. His sword cut my head. It's a reminder of the shame i have." Sora felt like such a dick. Leon's eyes were truthful, unwavering.

"I'm sorry." He cringed, he had been saying that phase a lot. He sighed, "I guess I don't really have much of a choice than. I'll stay." He swallowed past a lump in his throat. His parents, Tidus...would they be okay? Leon had an odd combination of relief and worry on his face.

"Good." He stood and held out his hand, pulling the teen up. "Riku? Will you show him around?" The teen nodded and stood also. The Seville mansion may have been declared an eyesore on the outside, but the inside was richly decorated. Riku showed him what had been an old ball room. It was being used for weapons practice. Axel was there, along with Roxas, a blond boy. He viewed everything with a grave, cold air. He smiled tightly when introduced to Sora. Axel was the complete opposite, he gave Sora a bone-crunching hug that left the teen gasping for air. Next was the kitchen, where a large man named Lexaeus was making something that smelled good. He observed Sora with a quiet aloofness at first, but gave a small smile when Sora declared his soup to be delicious. He gave Sora a cookie, then turned back to his cooking meal. Riku explained that Lexaeus never spoke, he had been injured in a fight that had robbed him of his inability to speak. On their way to the games room, they passed an old door.

Sora stopped to look at it. Unlike everything else, this door had dust on it. Riku hadn't noticed him stopping and continued down the hall. Reaching for the door knob Sora stopped. He swore his name was just whispered. He pulled his hand away, but took a deep breath and turned the door knob.

The room was empty, with no windows and only one door. Sora's eyes focused in on the gloom. He was mistaken, there was a black box on top of a table. He was just about to step into the room, when Riku grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" The other boy sounded mad, but also a bit scared. Sora frowned, confused. Why would anyone be afraid of a box?

"I just wanted to know what was in here. What is that?" He pointed to the box. Riku shook his head.

"Listen to me Sora. Don't ever come in here without being told you can. It's not being rude, it's just a rule. A strictly enforced rule. That thing is an oracle, a seer. It'll answer any question you have, but only if you have permission." Sora nodded, stepping out into the hall. Riku shut the door with a shudder. "I talked to it once. But..." He looked thoughtful, but shook his head. "I don't think it will happen."

"Why is it in a box if it is all powerful?"

"It changes, varying on our location. A rock, a fountain, a tree , it doesn't matter. It takes whatever form it chooses." His jade eyes shifted to Sora. "Please promise me you won't come back here." Sora blinked, touched by Riku's concern.

"I promise," he lied.

* * *

Sephiroth glanced toward the sky, frowning. If he didn't need these idiots...

With that thought, the man turned towards the armed soldiers.

"So what you're telling me is there is absolutely no trace of Leon and his band of merry idiots?" The man sweated, nervous.

"Um...yes?" With a swift move, Sephiroth beheaded the man. He sighed, wiping a finger down his masamune. He hated to get the blade dirty. He pointed at another man.

"You. You're promoted. Bury him." He wiped his sword on the dead man's shirt, thinking. "SAIX!" The yellow-eyed man came forward.

"Yes my lord."

"Release the hounds."

* * *

WOOP WOOP! Sora is a liar, his pants on fire. How will Riku take that? And more developments on the bad guy front. I thought it would be funny to put Saix in charge of doggies. But I can tell you, these won't ne any ordinary dogs. Oh rats, I said too much. Revies are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Lost One

Pairing: SoraxRiku (that's it for now)

Warnings: Violence, flashbacks

AN: I know technically Roxas has Oblivion, but I gave it to Sora in this one. It's funny, I was listening to Jamie Cullum while writing the fight scenes. If you don't know how that it, he is like the quietest singer in the world.

* * *

Chapter 4

Sora sat up in his dark room. It was just past midnight, and everyone was asleep. He slowly got out of bed and crept toward the door. The darkened hallway was thickly carpeted, so his feet didn't give him away. Finally, he reached the dusty door that housed the so-called Oracle. A soft whisper came.

"Sora..."

He jumped and glanced frantically around. There was no one there. He gulped and turned back to the door. He inhaled sharply. Holding his breath, he opened the door. It creaked loudly, making him wince. He flattened himself against the wall, waiting for someone to come running, demanding to know what he was doing. But it was silent. He stepped into the room. Approaching it carefully as one might approach a nuclear bomb, Sora walked toward the box. The paint was peeling, giving a non-threatening vibe. So why did he still feel so nervous? Licking his lips anxiously, he cast one look towards the door. He half-hoped someone would stop him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the lid.

Instantly, a wind started to blow. He screwed his eyes shut, feeling the floor shift underneath him. Then, his feet lifted off the ground. Voices were whispering, growing louder, their words indistinct. Just as he was about to scream, Sora was set on the ground. Breathing harshly, he opened his eyes slowly. Sora blinked, confused.

He was in a forest, green trees towering over him. A dull sun shined grey light, giving the scene a melancholy feeling. Suddenly, a noise came behind him. A pure snow white stag emerged from the thicket, regarding him with silver eyes. There was a moment of silence, with neither making a move nor 

sound. Then, the stag turned and dashed off into the forest. Sora, not knowing why, ran off after it. The animal was fast, leading him on a winding chase past trees and flowers. The brunet rounded a corner, but stopped. The stag had disappeared. He sat down on a rock, feeling unnaturally dejected. He glanced up, taking in his surroundings. He was by a small lake, blue water gently lapping against a beach. Apart from him, there was no evidence of any other life. Not knowing what to do, Sora went by the shore of the water and studied his reflection.

"Sora..." He jumped up, looking around. It was that same voice. He called back.

"Who are you?"

"Do you not know?" The voice was musical and sad, distinctly female.

"I'm sorry, I don't." It was strange, this place had no echo. His voice was absorbed in the emptiness.

"Then I cannot answer your questions." Sora started. How did she...?

"Wait! Please I have to know. Who am I?" He cried out desperately. The voice answered,

"You will have to find that out for yourself." The brunet felt distress building up.

"Please! Help me."

"Goodbye." Before he could do anything, Sora was going through the whirlwind again. He landed on the dirty floor of the room, head down. He looked up, frightened by a loud hacking noise. Feeling something trickling down his face, Sora wiped at his cheeks. His fingers came back wet. It was only then that he realized he was crying.

* * *

Riku, for the fifth time that morning, walked by Sora's door. It was mid-morning and the other boy had not gotten up yet. Leon had told him to let Sora sleep in. Riku agrred, but got the feeling Leon knew more to the story then he did. Finally, on his sixth try the door opened. Riku raised an eyebrow. Sora looked like hell, he had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was even messier than usual. Speaking of his eyes, they were red-rimmed, like he had been crying.

"Sora..." But the younger boy shot him a look that clearly said, 'I don't want to talk about it.' He changed what he was about to say. "Leon wants to start training you to fight today. If you're not up to it though..." Sora interrupted.

"I'm fine, really." He smiled, not as brightly as he usually did, but a smile none-the-less. "Of course, I have never been in a real fight in my life." Riku raised a eyebrow again.

"What about that guy whose jaw you broke?" Sora shook his head.

"He was overconfident." Riku rolled his jade eyes. Call him cocky, but when he did something amazing like that, he wanted recognition.

* * *

"You want me to have this?" Sora's voice was incredulous. Axel exchanged an amused look with Roxas.

"Yes. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?" The blonde's voice was quiet, but polite. Sora shot him a look.

"It's just...it's so..." He stumbled over his words. The weapon he had been given was oddly shaped, like a key. The blade was razor-sharp though. Sora's bloody finger testified to that. The steel was meticulously clean, not a speck of dirt or rust lay on it. Axel grinned at him.

"I know, hey?" The redhead lazily twirled his own weapon, a circular piece of metal with sharp, shiny blades a little less than one foot sticking out. He said it was called a chakram. "Its name is Oblivion. Roxie over here has two." Roxas glared at him, annoyed with the nickname. They had been fighting over it for centuries. Sora gripped the sword in his hands. The weight was perfect. Slowly he swung it around, feeling a weird tingle when he did. Axel nodded.

"Feel's right, doesn't it. You may not remember anything from your past life, but you do. You learned to fight, and did it well. After all, you had to protect the priestess of the goddess." Riku and Roxas both smacked him on the head, giving him twin looks of death.

"You're not supposed to tell him anything like that, you idiot." Sora shot Roxas a suspicious look.

"Tell me what?" The blond gave him a sad look.

"You have to find that out on your own. We have..."

"Rules, I know." The brunet supplied. "It's so frustrating to have people look up to you for something you don't even remember happening. Or even know if it's true!" He turned away, taking a slow breath. The three teens shot him guilty looks that he didn't see, but he felt. Riku's soft voice came,

"I know it's hard, but be patient. People have gone insane when unlocking too many memories at once. What good will it do you?" Sora turned around with a fake smile plastered on his face. If there was one thing he hated, it was pity. "Let's forget about that. Can you show me how to use this thing?" Axel smirked.

"Of course." Without warning, he swung his chakram at Sora's head. Without even thinking, Sora raised his weapon and blocked the shot. The weapons clanged. He thrust the blade at Axel, amazed that he somehow knew that to do. He surged forward, making Axel back up. The redhead tried to get Sora to turn, but the brunet was having none of it. He blocked the weapon and, with shaking arms, forced Axel to his knees. The redhead sighed, signalling he had given up. Sora stepped back, feeling amazed at what had just happened. He was expecting Axel to be mad, to declare that he had cheated. But the redhead looked up with an expression of such painful hope that Sora had to turn away.

"I have no doubts about who you are no." His voice was soft, unlike his earlier brashness. "It's really you."

* * *

Sora's days took on a comfortable routine that was overshadowed by his worry for his family and friends. His mom and dad were probably frantic now, wondering where he went. And Tidus...All the 

energy that came with his worry went into learning to fight. He took turns fighting with Axel, Roxas, and Riku. He lost most of the time, but learned a lot in the process. Sora was amazed to learn that they were all at least a thousand years old. The brunet didn't really see anyone else who was there. It was explained that most of the members of the group went out on scouting missions during the day and returned at night. He would spend his spare time either in the kitchen with Lexaeus, who would feed him delicious concoctions, or with Leon looking at pictures that meant nothing to him. Despite his lack of memory, Leon never got angry. He explained that it was meant to be a painfully slow progress.

One evening, Sora had a strange dream_._

_The stag from the oracle thrashed in a trap, the thin metal teeth biting into the flesh. It bellowed in pain, eyes desperate. Over the noise, Sora heard a pained voice._

"_Need help. Please...help me." In the dream, the eyes bored into Sora. "SORA!! PLEASE HELP!!" _

The brunet sat up, eyes wide. Moving as if possessed, he grabbed his sword. He ran to the oracle's door, feeling panicky. When he got there, he froze. A huge dog was there, snuffling. Two more were behind it. Yellow eyes focused on him, a snarling following. It lunged at Sora, jaws open, ready to rip into him. The sense of fear he had with the troll had disappeared. Coolly, he raised Oblivion. He stabbed the blade right through the dog's mouth. The blade appeared through the top of the head. A loud whine followed, then the dog fell over dead. The others shifted, as if nervous. Then they took off, the distant sound of breaking glass answering how the expected to get away. Axel came charging up the stairs, eyes widening when he saw the carcass.

"WOAH!" Riku appeared suddenly, pulling Sora away. All traces of braveness were gone; he paled at the stench of blood. Roxas, who had come up with Axel, pulled the blade out of the monster's head. Sora pulled away from Riku, feeling distressed. Getting the message, the silver haired boy led Sora to the garden. The brunet vomited, shaking. Riku rubbed his back soothingly, murmuring soft words of comfort. The crying boy sat down on the ground, wiping at his mouth with a grimace of disgust.

"I bet you never reacted like that," he said dully. Riku shook his head.

"The first battle I was in, I couldn't eat for days afterwards. It's nothing to be ashamed about." Sora leaned against Riku, nodding.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." A cold, sarcastic voice filled the garden. Both boys spun around. A man stood there, long silver hair glinting in the moonlight. Green eyes that were both cruel and hard focused on them. The man had a small smirk, as if something amusing occurred to him. Riku stiffened.

"Sephiroth." The man laughed softly.

"Hello, Riku." He shifted his gaze to Sora. "Is this the so called chosen one?" Riku didn't move. "I see." Unseen to Riku and Sora, a glowing ball formed in the palm of Sephiroth's hand. "Well, let me offer my congratulations to the boy." With that, he threw the light at Sora. It hit Sora in the chest, driving him back. He slumped to the ground, eyes closed.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Riku charged Sephiroth. The older man caught the boy's wrists, subduing him.

"Tsk, tsk Riku. Such language. You betrayed me, so you're in no position to be calling me names." He shoved the boy back. "You'll come back." With that, he disappeared in a flash of dark light. Riku rushed to Sora's side. He lifted the brunet boy up, shaking him slightly. Sora's blue eyes snapped open. Instantly he started to cry. Riku shushed him, trying to help him up. Sora started to whisper. One phrase started to repeat itself. Riku stopped, staring down at Sora.

"What was that?" Sora inhaled.

"I remember. I remember everything."

* * *

Epic ending. It's so cliche, I know. But bare with me. As always, review please!!


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